Qualifier

Contractor licenses are typically issued to individuals, not to companies. A qualifier is the licensed individual who allows a business entity to contract under their license. The company holds the contract; the qualifier's personal license is what stands behind it.

Why permits ask for one

Permit application forms ask for both the company and the qualifier because the department is verifying that a real, current, individually held license covers the work. The qualifier is the person the licensing board acts against if the work is defective or the law is broken, which is what gives the requirement teeth.

Terminology

The vocabulary is state-specific. Florida uses qualifying agent. California uses responsible managing officer and responsible managing employee, the RMO and RME. Other states use qualifying party or similar. The concept is the same in each.

Practical consequences

• The qualifier's name and license number appear on permit applications, and they generally have to match the licensing board's record exactly.
• A qualifier is usually limited in how many entities they may qualify.
• When a qualifier leaves a company, the company's ability to pull permits can lapse until a replacement is registered, which is a quiet way for a project to stall.